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This section provides an overview for shore hardness testers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 42 shore hardness tester manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked shore hardness tester companies as of December, 2024: 1.Elastocon AB, 2.Mitutoyo America Corporation, 3.DeFelsko Corporation.
Table of Contents
A Shore hardness tester is a measuring instrument for measuring hardness, called "Shore hardness".
Shore hardness mainly represents the hardness of metallic materials. Hardness is the property of a material to resist external forces. In everyday life, it is understood in the sense that steel is hard and rubber is soft. By using a shore hardness tester, the hardness of a material is quantified and expressed as "HS + number). The higher this number is, the harder the material is.
Compared to other hardness measurement methods, the measurement time is short and the measuring instrument is portable and easy to use. Therefore, it is used at various manufacturing sites.
Shore hardness testers are used in a variety of industries. For example, they are used to select materials of appropriate hardness when making parts for automobiles and aircraft. They are also useful in checking the quality of rubber products such as shoes and tires.
In addition, it is indispensable when developing new materials in the field of research and development. To evaluate the performance of new materials, hardness is measured and compared with other materials. Shore hardness testers are also useful in quality control of products and in investigating causes of failure.
However, in Europe, the Shore hardness tester is not used much anymore. Instead, Vickers hardness testers, which can measure hardness more accurately, tend to be preferred. On the other hand, the Japanese JIS standard uses a method of converting Shore hardness to Vickers hardness. This is one of the reasons why Shore hardness testers are widely accepted in manufacturing sites in Japan.
The Shore hardness tester determines Shore hardness by striking a sample with a hammer attached to a diamond hemisphere from a certain height and measuring the height at which the indenter bounces up after impact. The higher the bounce height, the higher the Shore hardness.
Since the Shore hardness tester mainly measures the amount of kinetic energy of the indenter, if the sample is too small, some of the kinetic energy is consumed by the vibration energy and accurate measurement may not be possible. The effect of the mass of the sample is called the "mass effect". The Shore hardness tester is a measurement method with a large mass effect.
Another disadvantage of the Shore hardness tester is that there are many factors that can cause measurement errors, such as the need to drop the indenter perpendicularly to the sample and the surface in contact with the indenter must be horizontal. However, if you understand these features and are able to make as accurate a measurement as possible, the shore hardness tester, which can easily measure hardness, can be a useful tool in a variety of fields.
There are different types of shore hardness testers, such as the C-type and D-type. Each of these types has different characteristics, and the appropriate measuring instrument should be selected according to the situation in which it will be used.
Type C shore hardness testers use a glass tube with an inner diameter of approximately 6 mm and a scale. The hammer is a diamond indenter with a spherical tip and is approximately 20 mm long. The hammer falls down the glass tube and the height at which it bounces up can be read visually.
Compared to the D-type, the C-type shore hardness tester has a smaller hammer mass, and its hardness fluctuates less with the mass of the sample. However, reading must be done visually and requires experienced skill.
In the D-type shore hardness tester, a diamond indenter is attached to a cylindrical hammer made of steel. The hammer strikes the sample and bounces up, pushing the dial gauge spindle up, and the dial gauge pointer indicates the height of the hammer bounce.
1. Indentation Hardness
Hardness is measured by measuring the depth and size of a depression made when an indenter is pressed into a sample under a microscope. Rockwell hardness and Vickers hardness are typical examples.
2. Rebound Hardness
This is a quantitative definition of hardness based on the observation of the indentation formed in a sample when an indenter impacts the sample and the movement of the indenter after the rebound. Shore hardness corresponds to this rebound hardness.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Mitutoyo America Corporation was founded in Aurora, Illinois in 1963 by Mitutoyo Corporation of Japan as its American sales, marketing, and service subsidiary. The company provides parts service, manufacturing, and turnkey solutions for metrology equipment for aerospace, alternative energy, automotive, semiconductor, and other industries. The company’s product offerings include coordinate measuring machines, sensor systems, test equipment, and vision measuring equipment customized for customer needs. The company’s services include calibration and repair, installation, contract part programming, and training and education for operation as well as calibration.
TA Instruments, established in 1963, is a manufacturer of machinery for thermal analysis, rheology, microcalorimetry, and mechanical analysis, headquartered in Delaware, USA. Their product range includes rheometers, thermal analyzers, calorimeters, dilatometers, and viscometers which are used in various industries such as biopharmaceuticals, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Their products provide crucial insights into material properties, enabling quality control, optimizing processes, and facilitating product development. TA Instruments ensures quality and holds certifications such as ISO 9001 for quality management.
Phase II, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, is a manufacturer of material testing tools. The goods include durometers, force gauges, vibration meters, hardness & surface roughness testers, and ultrasonic thickness gauges. The machine tool accessories include change tool holders, rotary table tailstocks, lathe tool post sets, collet indexers, and dex spacers. The firm provides Gage calibration and certification services and is AMTMA, ASNT, and ASTM International member.
DeFelsko Corporation is a manufacturer of coating thickness gauges and inspection instruments, located in Ogdensburg, NY, USA, and was established in 1965. The company offers a range of products, including, environmental gauges, soluble salt testers, ultrasonic wall thickness gauges, and analog & digital material hardness testers, used in various industries, including metals, fiberglass, and plastic.They continue to develop new products and technologies to meet the needs of customers. They also actively participate in several key organizations (SSPC, NACE, ASTM, ISO) to improve and promote the science of coating inspection.
Checkline, founded in Lynbrook, New York in, in 1958 is a manufacturer of precision measuring instruments for quality control. The company's product portfolio includes force gauges, torque gauges, coating thickness gauges, wall thickness gauges, and textile test instruments. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation. They also provide services including product selection, installation, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair.
Affri, founded in Induna Olena, Lombardi in 1954 is a manufacturer of Hardness Testing systems. The company's product portfolio includes Microhardness Testers used to provide accurate measurements for small samples, Macro hardness Testers, universal Hardness Testers and Portable Hardness Testers. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation. They also offer services such as equipment repair, instrumentation system upgrades and retrofits, preventive maintenance, warranty service.
Flexbar Machine Corporation, founded in 1965 and located in Islandia, New York, is a Manufacturer and distributor of metrology-grade replicas, casting materials, and precision measuring instruments. Its diverse range of products includes video and optical inspection devices, gages, borescopes, gage stands, and machine tool accessories. The company's products are used in quality control, metrology, and precision measurement applications across various industries. Flexbar's products cater to industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical, electronics, and other sectors where precise measurement and inspection are essential for maintaining product performance. The company also holds ISO 9001 certification.
Shars Tool is an American wholesale distributor of industrial equipment and machinery that was established in 1978 in Saint Charles, Illinois. The company stocks various hand and power tools, abrasives, and cutting tools, as well as machinery like mills and lathes. They also offer material handling equipment like carts and bins, as well as safety accessories like goggles and gloves. Shars Tool chiefly serves client companies and businesses in the metalworking, DIY, home maintenance, and hobby markets, as well as select e-retailers such as LittleMachineShop.com.
Paul N. Gardner Company, Inc. was established in 1936 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, US, as a manufacturer and distributor of physical testing instruments. The product range comprises laboratory supplies, color testers, abrasion testers, gel timers, density measurement apparatus, holiday detectors, thermometers, hygrometers, and optical testers, among others, with various features and specifications. These products serve a multitude of applications, including quality control, material analysis, surface testing, density measurement, moisture monitoring, and optical property assessment across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, petroleum, food, construction, automotive, and research.
Standard Tools and Equipment Co., an American company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a manufacturer and distributor of paint booths. The company's product portfolio includes paint booths, frame straightening equipment, auto body shop equipment, car lifts and jacks, and wheel alignment systems. These products are utilized by various industries, including auto body repair shops, automotive service centers, auto painting and refinishing facilities, tire and wheel service centers, and manufacturing facilities. The company provides customer services, including custom engineering, fast shipping, technical support, local pickups, and shipping and delivery.
ABQ Industrial, founded in the United States in 1996, is a supplier of precision measuring and test instrumentation. The company's product portfolio includes equipment like calipers, micrometers, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and digital multimeters. These instruments are used across various industries, including manufacturing, engineering, research, and quality control, to ensure precision and consistency in measurements. It also provides comprehensive technical support, on-site training, and consultation to ensure the seamless operation of the equipment and tools.
Qualitest International Inc., founded in 1999, is a supplier of testing equipment such as hardness testers, material testing equipment, universal testing machines, and instruments for testing rubber, metals, paper, plastic, paint, and packaging materials used in the gold and jewelry, mining, oil and gas, surveying, and ultrasonic industries. The Lauderdale, Florida-based business offers technical support, calibration, and repair either directly or through the global QualiService authorized network. The company has an online store with international shipping.
GlobalSpec, based in NY, United States, is an online destination for engineers, delivering the single source for critical engineering content, information, insight, and community for engineers and technical professionals across multiple industries and disciplines. The company's website offers information comprised of news and analysis, products and suppliers, standards directory, and reference library – a gateway to more than 95 million engineering documents, including technical articles, reports, patents, and e-books, and more. They connect industrial marketers with their target audience of engineering and technical, professionals – generating awareness, demand and engagement opportunities at all stages of the buy cycle.
Unuo Instruments Co. Ltd established approximately in 2005, operates as a manufacturer and supplier of laboratory testing equipment and is headquartered in Jinjiang City, Fujian. Unuo Instruments manufactures testing instruments for quality control in numerous industries, including footwear, textile, rubber, leather, and toy manufacturing. These instruments are specifically designed to suit the requirements of different test methods, like ISO, BS, EN, DIN, ASTM, and others. Unuo provides a range of abrasion tests, including the DIN abrasion tester, taber abrasion tester, and Martindales abrasion tester. Additionally, they offer flexing testers such as the Bally leather flexing tester and ross flexing tester.
Kanjoliya LabTest Private Ltd., founded in 2015 and located in Dholpur, Rajasthan, India, is a manufacturer of testing equipment for industrial materials. The company offers tensile strength testers for analyzing industrial base materials, bursting strength testers for measuring rupture resistance of materials, and rub scuff testers for testing the quality of printed materials on surfaces. It also offers digital moisture meters for testing moisture content in powdered or granular goods. The company is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 17025:2017-certified, and mainly serves clients in the industrial manufacturing sector.
S.A.M.A. Italia S.r.l., established in 1994 and located in Viareggio, Italy, is a manufacturer of measuring and control instruments through its brand SAMA Tools. The company offers a wide range of products, including climate chambers, salt spray cabinets, calipers, micrometers, weighing systems, and more. It also offers instruments for environmental and workplace safety monitoring and control. Its products can help in monitoring and controlling environmental and safety conditions. The company has achieved ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certification. It serves industries such as manufacturing, quality control, and more.
Micrometry Instrument Limited founded in Shenzhen, China, in 2007, is a manufacturer of measuring instruments and testers. The company’s product catalog includes torque testers, coating metal thickness gauges, digital microscopes, and displacement sensors. Its video microscopes are used for semiconductor inspection and failure analysis. The company’s products are certified by American standards (ASTM) and German standards (DIN). It has 100 patented products. All of its products are manufactured in-house and then sold in local markets and also exported to the USA and Europe.
Amade Technology is a professional material testing equipment manufacturer and trader from China. We are dedicated to providing high-quality laboratory testing equipment at competitive prices. Our products have been exported to various countries and got positive client feedback. Making material testing accessible is our goal. Our products consist of Li-ion battery safety testing equipment, environmental test chambers, footwear testing machines, leather testing machines, rubber testing equipment, plastic testing equipment, tensile testers, textile testing instruments, packaging testing machines, drop testers, paper & packaging testing machines, etc.
Bareiss North America, Inc., founded in 1954 and based in the United States, is a manufacturer of mechanical hardness testers. The company produces various products such as analog durometers, abrasion testers, punching presses, Rockwell testers, and digital durometers and supplies to different industries such as automotive, food, defense and aerospace, paper & textile industry, and metals & ceramics. The company holds Environmental ISO 14001:2004 certification to produce products that do not impact the environment and follows the traceability of national standards as required by DIN EN ISO 9001 and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.
Hans SCHMIDT & Co. GmbH is the manufacturer of tension meter manufacturer founded in 1948 and was established in USA. The company control instruments are relied on all over the world in all applications that demand supreme precision and quality in production. The company Quality Management covers the area of design, development, production, installation and maintenance of our tension meters. They are devoted to advanced industrial processes and quality assurance, contributing to enhanced efficiency and superior outcomes.
Elastocon AB, founded in 1987, is a Swedish manufacturer and supplier of testing instruments for rubber and plastic materials, headquartered in Bramhult, Vaestra Goetaland. The company's offerings encompass a range of instruments designed for rubber and plastic testing, including aging ovens, stress relaxation test systems, as well as low and high-temperature, creep, and windscreen fogging testers. Furthermore, the company offers accredited calibration services for instrument testing, facilitated through its subsidiary, Elastocon MätCentrum AB. It also provides accredited contract testing for rubber and plastics materials, including stress relaxation tests for lifetime estimations, as well as hardness, low-temperature, compression, and material testing and analysis.
Sudershan Measuring & Engineering Private Limited is a manufacturer and supplier of portable testers that was established in 2006 and is headquartered in New Delhi, India. The company specializes in the production of testing machines including testing instruments, carbide cutting tools, threading tools and gauges. Its products such as surface profile gauges, emf-portable gauss meters, and pin moisture meters for wood and plaster are used by several industries, as diverse as manufacturing, construction, and quality control. The company also offers a wide range of services, including milling accessories, custom manufacturing, calibration, and repair.
Samruddhi Industries., in Ahmedabad, India, in 2005 is a manufacturer of testing equipment. The company's product portfolio includes ACCUPLUS Measuring Instruments, Scientific Lab Testing Instruments, Paint Testing Instruments, Coating Thickness Gauge and Precision Measuring Instrument. Their products are used in industries such as Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Chemical and Petrochemical, Environmental Testing and healthcare. The company provides services such as Product Selection Guidance, Engineering Support, and Custom Manufacturing.
Engineering & Gauge Ltd, established in 1991 and headquartered in St Albans, United Kingdom, is a manufacturer of measuring and gauging equipment. The company specializes in designing and manufacturing various measuring instruments, including precision micrometers, bore gauges, and digital calipers. It is ISO 9001:2015 certified, verifying that the products are accurate, stable, and well-calibrated. Its instruments are utilized in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and engineering, where precise measurements are critical for quality control and production processes.
Stech Engineers is a rubber testing equipment manufacturer established in in 1998 in Maharashtra, India. The company makes multiple items aimed for testing, for instance abrasion testers, specific gravity balance devices, yarn and wire tension testers. In addition, the venture offers installation and testing solutions for material services regarding tension, planar biaxial, compression, and more. The venture's products are used in various industries besides its core field, like the textile, paint, powder coating, chemical and metal markets.. It also counts with quality standards, such as an ISO 9001:2015 certificate.
Gibitre Instruments, a company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Bergamo, Italy, is a manufacturer and supplier specializing in measuring instruments. The company's range of measuring instruments includes rheometers, mini force testers, and block ovens for accelerated aging. These products find applications in various industries, including rubber manufacturing, construction, and the electronics industry. The company provides maintenance and calibration services for all installed instruments, as well as training. The company is ISO 17025:2018 certified, with agencies in various countries including Argentina, the Czech Republic, and China.
Industrial Physics, a portfolio company of KKR a private-equity firm, is a manufacturer of test, measurement, and inspection equipment, based in the United States. The company specializes in the food and beverage, paper and plastics, paint and coatings, materials testing, and consumer electronics markets. They operate across a family of brands, including TQC Sheen, Technidyne, and C&W Equipment. They have been supporting manufacturers, laboratories, and production lines across a multitude of industries.
Guangdong Hongtuo Instrument Technology Co., Ltd., established in 2002 and located in Guangdong, China, is a manufacturer, distributor, and trader specializing in physical testing and environmental testing instruments. The company provides a diverse range of products, including universal tensile testing machines, engineering plastics testing equipment, and leather footwear testing machines. Additionally, it offers services such as customer installation training, technical consultation, and business processing. These products are utilized in research laboratories, quality inspection institutions, and in the manufacturing of magnetic materials.
PCE Instruments UK Ltd., started in 199 and headquartered in Manchester, UK, is a manufacturer and supplier of test instruments, equipment, and tools for weighing, measuring, and control systems. The company offers more than 500 test equipment, including analyzers, inspection cameras, meters, detectors, and sensors, with applications in various fields like data acquisition, electrical engineering, environmental science, building inspection, and food processing. Its manufacturing and development division is ISO 9001 certified, all its test instruments, equipment, and tools are factory calibrated, and the company also provides services for custom test instrument design, installation, and maintenance.
Russell Technologies India Pvt. Ltd, established in 2009 in New Delhi, India, is a manufacturer and supplier of NDT equipment and accessories. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of NDT equipment, offering ultrasonic flaw detectors, magnetic particle testing equipment, radiographic testing instruments, and eddy current testers. It holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, and its products benefit customers by allowing precise and stable testing and inspection of materials without causing damage. These NDT solutions find applications in aerospace, automotive, construction, and manufacturing, where non-invasive testing methods are essential for ensuring the safety and quality of materials.
Wenzhou Yiding Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd., based in Liushi, China, is a manufacturer of mechanical instruments. Its product line includes torque testers measures and ensures precise torque application, spring testing machines evaluates spring strength, test benches assesses mechanical and electrical properties, tensile testers gauges material pull strength, and push force gauges measures both push and pull forces in industrial applications. These instruments are integral in various industrial applications, offering durability and precision. With an emphasis on quality and adherence to a "quality first, customer first" policy, the company obtained national licenses and become a global supplier, capable of replacing imported products.
ABS Instruments Pvt.Ltd., established in 1989 and based in Chennai, India, is a supplier of testing equipment materials. The company has NABL (ISO 17025) accreditation for the calibration of speed, displacement, extensometers, hardness testers, and impact testers. The products are applied to testing of hardness, fatigue, sheet metal, visual inspection, and rebound. The products are used in industries like automotive, defence, polymer, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals. The company specialised in making accelerated weathering instrument bandols, ageing ovens, automatic hardness and density testers, and automatic cupping test machines.
H.W. Wallace & Co Limited, founded in the UK, is a supplier of testing equipment to the rubber and polymer industry. The company's product portfolio includes a comprehensive range of materials testing machines for assessing the physical properties of materials, such as tensile strength, hardness, and durability, quality control equipment helps clients maintain consistency and meet quality standards in their manufacturing processes and advanced NDT equipment that enables the inspection of materials and components without causing damage, ensuring safety and reliability.
Accusize Industrial Tools was born in Toronto, Canada in 2008. Accusize is a distributor of measuring tools, cutting tools, and machine tools for metalworking companies. A portion of offerings that Accusize offers includes collet blocks, expanding arbors, air tools, power tools, die maker tools, annular cutters, bore gages, boring bars, boring heads, BT40 tooling, CAT40 tooling, calibration, layout, & machine setting tools, calipers & attachments, carbide inserts, end mills, force gauges, and metrology and material testing equipment.
ZwickRoell Corporation, founded in 1935 and based in Ulm, Germany, is a global supplier of static materials testing machines. Its offerings include static materials testing machines, dynamic and fatigue testing machines, and automated testing systems, used in research and development, and quality assurance across various industries. Its machines run approximately 80,000,000 materials and component tests annually. The company operates a calibration laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Labomat Essor, established in 1992 and based in Saint-Denis, Centre, France, is a distributor of scientific and specialty equipment for research, industrial control, and production. The company produces products such as colorimeters, spectropolarimeters, viscosimeters, and rheometers. Apart from this, the company makes glass beads, ceramic beads, and flakes while offering maintenance and repair services. All the products and services are catered to manufacturing, service small and medium businesses, and to customers in the European Union, Middle East, and Africa.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elastocon AB |
7.6%
|
| 2 | NextGen Material Testing, Inc. |
5.4%
|
| 3 | Mitutoyo America Corporation |
5.4%
|
| 4 | Hans Schmidt & Co GmbH |
5.4%
|
| 5 | DeFelsko Corporation |
5.4%
|
| 6 | Russell Technologies India Pvt. Ltd |
4.3%
|
| 7 | Engineering & Gauge Ltd |
4.3%
|
| 8 | GlobalSpec (C) |
4.3%
|
| 9 | ZwickRoell Corporation |
4.3%
|
| 10 | Axiotek srl |
3.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the shore hardness tester page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
13 | 36.1% |
|
India
|
6 | 16.7% |
|
China
|
4 | 11.1% |
|
Germany
|
4 | 11.1% |
|
Canada
|
3 | 8.3% |
|
United Kingdom
|
3 | 8.3% |
|
Italy
|
2 | 5.6% |
|
Sweden
|
1 | 2.8% |
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